Women's eyes
by Kalendeer
Summary: "He would be strong enough to be the perfect pawn, her queen on the big chessboard of life. She, of course, would be the King behind him." Small stories of Tywin Lannister's life through the eyes of the women who knew him.
1. Lady Alysanne Lannister - The Mother

**Author's notes :**

1- This serie of oneshot is part of the Ward of Casterly Rock verse. If you like my work here, please, have a look !

2 - English is not my mothertong. If you read anything which sound not-english-at-all, please feel free to tell me. I write to improve !

**1. Lady Alysanne – The Mother**

_He will make me proud_, Lady Alysanne thought as she watched her son.

Whenever she looked at her beloved Tywin, she marveled on own much he looked like her. Not physically, not quite : like his sister and two brothers, he had blond hair as yellow as the sun. He took his green eyes from his father too. In Alysanne the blood of Valyria was still speaking and from her Velaryon mother she had taken a silky, silver mane and purple eyes. Yet in everything else Tywin was hers. They had been riding for days now, from Casterly Rock to King's Landing, following the Golden Road. The pace had been fast, for Alysanne disliked everything slow. He rode straight on his horse, his eyes ever alert despite the long voyage, tireless as ever. She knew him to be very smart, with a quick temper he struggled to control under a mask of ice.

_One day, he will deserve every praises. He is promising_. He had to, or he would never be allowed to live.

Alysanne wasn't usually that worried. At Casterly Rock Tywin was a little prince. No one would cross him and if they did, _she_ was here. Her husband was weak, a fat cat rather than a lion; she wanted him that way, easy to mold. She would protect her peculiar son no matter what and obviously, soft Tytos would never take the necessary steps if he discovered the truth. King's Landing was different. She wouldn't be there to watch his steps. He wouldn't be the little prince. He would have to bow.

Tywin never bowed to anyone, even his father.

He seemed oblivious to her fears. Fears? She did not fear. She didn't know this feeling at all; since her birth, she had been never felt a fair amount of feelings, and fear was among them. She could calculate the risks, though, cold as a snake, weighing the risk of every situation. In that, too, Tywin looked a lot like her. Now he was standing in his stirrups, legs straight, his gaze searching the horizon.

"Banners, mother," he said with youthful enthusiasm. "Black and red."

He sat back on his saddle and turned his horse toward her. A big, earnest smile was placated on his face. "The Targaryens are sending someone to greet us."

Only with her was he so open. Only with her he truly smiled. He trusted her, she knew, and loved her fiercely. Alysanne liked the feeling that he was hers, completely hers. No other woman would ever rule his heart like she did. When Tytos would die, which would come soon enough, Tywin would bring unlimited glory to their family. He would be strong enough to be the perfect pawn, her queen on the big chessboard of life. She, of course, would be the King behind him.

She felt powerful every time he smiled at her.

Tywin led his horse shoulder to shoulder with Lady Alysanne's. He asked with a low voice, not to be heard by the men of their escort: "Mom. What if I don't _like_ the Prince?"

So he had been worried, after all, only too proud to allow himself to show his weakness.

"You'll fake and be friendly," she answered flatly. He should have talked earlier if he wished too; now there wasn't nearly enough time for this.

"But what if I **really** don't...  
-I understood what you meant the first time." Her violet eyes pierced his green. "It should be easy, actually. Just remember that if you shed even a drop of his blood, they will have your head. A _slow_, _very painful_ death." He paled. He knew pain, she had made sure of it. "I'll be there for a few days. Do not worry. If you _don't like him_, I will beat you so thoroughly you won't ever think of hurting the Prince ever again."

For one, small moment, she thought he was going to rebel. He was twelve. Too young to be wholly sure of himself, yet too old to let her do as she wished. Alysanne threw him a warning glare. _Careful, boy. My teeth and claws are still longer than yours_. She pictured a gold and red dragon curling inside him, hissing, trying to spread its wings against the chain she had carefully put around him. Then she saw herself, chainless, long and silver, with talons as long as his head. A caged dragon would never grow as big as she was, as fierce, as dangerous.

"And what if _he_ doesn't like me?" He said. Retreating. Accepting the menace of her blows.

"He will. You need to trust yourself, love." She brushed a caress on his cheek and laughed when he evaded it. Her little cub shunned her affection in public now, though in private he craved for her approval.

The Targaryen banners were quite near now. A lone rider at the front spurred his horse. As he came but a few meters away from them, Alysanne could see he was but a child, probably hardly older than Tywin, dressed in a shimmering silver chainmail and black and radiant red. He was more than handsome. Pure white hair were fleeting in the wind, crowning pale skin, violet eyes and an easy, charming smile.

Alysanne lowered her head and gaze. From the corner of her eyes she spotted Tywin doing the same. The Targaryen boy crossed the chain of their Lannister guards. Now he was almost seeing eye to eye with Tywin: his black horse was bigger than the chestnut courser, but her son was taller.

The boy flattened on his horse's neck, searching for Tywin gaze with an utter lack of dignity. Head still lowered, Lannister answered with a curious glance, and for one moment the two looked like two curious animals smelling each other.

"Hi," the boy finally said. Tywin blinked. Princes didn't say "hi". Princes were dignified. Princes weren't smiling like fools. "You're Tywin Lannister, right?  
-Yes, your Grace."

The boy made a face.

"My name's Aerys. We're going to be squires together. We should be _friends_." He smiled. Alysanne saw he missed a tooth, probably his last remnant from childhood.  
"Yes, your Grace," Tywin answered. Always solemn, her son.  
"My name's Aerys," the boy repeated. "Are you stupid or what?"

Tywin recoiled as if stung. Now he wasn't bowing anymore and his courser, sensing his wrath, snorted nervously.

"Of course not," he said, his voice dry. "You said your name was Aerys, your Grace. You didn't allow me to use it without your title.  
-Right. Then I, Prince Aerys, Heir to the Throne, Future King of the Andal, Rhoynar, Ironborn and First Men and all that stuff, grant you the right and duty to stop calling me "your Grace"."

His dignified speech lost a lot of weight when one could spot the emptiness of his lost tooth, Alysanne thought, but Tywin seemed pleased enough, and a bit disturbed. He relied a lot on hierarchy and respect people should bestow to their better; the cheer prospect of calling the little Prince by his surname was against everything he knew.

"Do you ride?" Aerys asked.  
"I'm on a horse right now," Tywin answered. He tucked his chin out, proud as a kitten after its first fruitful hunt. "I'm the best rider in my whole family.  
-I heard your brothers are babies, that's why. No squire in the Red Keep rides better than me.  
-I'm sure they let you win.  
-No they don't!  
-We should have a race. My horse is a bit tired from the trip, so you _may_ win."

Aerys grinned, turned his dark courser. Tywin did not smile, yet Alysanne knew he was more than amused. Then a big man with a white cloak, and a closed helmet raised his voice.

"Your Grace, this would be unwise. Your Lord Father commanded...  
-To the Gods Gate ! The looser cleans the other's boots for one month!" Aerys shouted as he kicked his horse. The knight in white swore but Tywin was already gone, pressing his gelding hard on Aerys' heels. The escort followed and she was left alone with her own guards as Alysanne calmly watched them go.

She met them at the gate. By then the smell of the city filled everything, threatening to cling even to her cloths; a strong wind from the sea carried the sent salt, fish and shit. Paupers kept pigs and slaughterhouses outside the walls, and those were especially smelly in the summer warmth. Both boys had set foot on the ground and patted their horses. As Alysanne got nearer, she heard them talk with animation. Aerys laughed for the two of them and Tywin _smiled_. They met less than an hour ago, yet her solitary son treated the little prince as if he had known him forever.

Lady Alysanne Lannister wasn't worried any more.

No.

She was deadly jealous, and swore to herself that the white haired brat would never, ever take her beloved lion cub's heart from her.


	2. Princess Aena - The Admirer

**2. Princess Aena – The Admirer**

Aena hated storms.

She was five years old and she thought thunder would bring dragons back to life. Big Brother Aerys had told her so, so of course it would come true. Big Sister Rhaella said Aerys was a liar, but Cousin Tywin had that look on his face, that serious look which meant it was true.

Tywin wasn't really her cousin, not like Cousin Steffon who was a squire too and whose mom was Dad's sister. But Steffon was a big brute of a boy, sixteen years old, with unruly black hair and smelly feet. He never had time for Aena and liked to bully the small ones. Tywin was nearly as tall even though he was only twelve, brave, polite and _pretty_. His mom was pretty too, with long, silver hair, and looked a lot like a Targaryen. So Aena had decided Tywin Lannister was her cousin, and from here, he quickly became her _favorite_ cousin.

So Aena decided she wanted Tywin. If the dragons in the throne room were to wake up, she would need protection from a knight.

Her bare little feet felt cold on the cold stones. She moved silent as a mouse, from her chamber down those of the boys. She was little, so she slept near her parents' room, while Aerys had chambers in the lower levels of the tower, along with their targaryen cousins and the squires, Steffon Baratheon and Tywin Lannister. Aena knew how it was done. Two guards patrolled the way, but she was small and the path full of shadows where she could hide. She knew when to hide and when to run. In no time she was in front of Aerys's door, listening to the voices behind. She spotted Steffon loud laugh and Aerys's clear and childlike one. She could hear cousin Daeron as well. He was uncle Duncan's son, but while Uncle was kind, Daeron was half mad and cackled rather than laughed. She couldn't hear Tywin, but then, Tywin Lannister never laughed.

She opened the door. A flash of light greeted her, quickly followed by a rumbling growl. The four boys sat on Aerys bed. There was only one candle there, right in the middle of their circle. The light made Daeron even creepier than he usually was; the boy had been gifted with none of Aerys's good look, and it showed even more now. Steffon looked like a bear and Tywin, neatly seated, silent and stern, seemed as if made of gold. Gold hair on gold skin, and bronze eyes, light even in the darkness.

"What is she doing there?" Daeron piped. "Go back to your bed.  
-I'm scared," Aena answered. She usually disliked Daeron, but tonight she felt ready to loath him. All eyes were on her and she felt cornered. "What if the dragons come back to life?  
-They won't, silly child," Steffon said. He laughed. "Who told you that? Corpses don't come back to life.  
-Aerys told her," Tywin said. His voice sounded cold and that was good. Not freezing cold, but cold like a spring night, cold like someone who will not mock you. "You shouldn't have. I told you she would come to us," he threw a disapproving glance to the Prince.  
"Well, she came, and now she's going back to her bed or I'll call the guards," Daeron affirmed. "We're telling scary stories here. She's going to _spoil_ the fun.  
-_You're_ spoiling the fun," Steffon joked.  
"I wanna stay!" Aena said forcefully. Thunder cracked again. Was that a growl she heard from bellow? "I wanna stay or I will wake Papa and Mama!  
-If you do this…" Daeron barked, only to be cut down by Tywin's superior scowl.

"Let her be. The King needs his sleep and she is in this state because of us. It wouldn't be fair to send her away. Your stories aren't even remotely scary anyway."

Daeron made a face, and _that_ felt good. The little girl smiled and ran to the bed. There she hopped on the mattress and crawled on Tywin's lap.

"Thank you," she mumbled as he circled her with strong arms.

"My sister likes you better than me," Aerys complained.

Aena stuck her nose out.

"Tywin is a knight. He has an armor. He can protect me against the big dragons. You can't." And she snuggled closer to his chest, ignoring Aerys raised eyebrow.

"Whow. _My Tywin_ has an armor, really? Why wasn't I aware of this?  
-How do you know that?" Tywin asked against her hair. She could hear him frown. Even if he was a knight, he could be scary when he did that. "You went into my room?  
-You have an armor?  
-That's not the point! Your sister went into my rooms! She searched my things!  
-I didn't! I was playing hide and seek and it wasn't closed and it was in the wardrobe and I…  
-Oh please, she's going to cry now," Daeron sighed. "So you have an armor?  
-Damn it Lannister, you're twelve," grumbled Steffon. "You're not even allowed to use steel yet, what use is an armor to you?"

Aena felt Tywin move. She whined, bereft, but he picked her up almost immediately.

"I'm going to sleep now. I'm bringing your sister, since she won't sleep because of you.  
-But what about the armor?"

She heard the door close behind them, felt the soft wind of the hallway, then another door closing. Aena buried her face against Tywin's shoulder. "I'm sorry I found your things.  
-You will not talk of the armor again.  
-But it's so _pretty_," she moaned. She had seen it: gold and red and black like the armor of a true hero from the stories Mama and sister Rhaella told her. She could easily picture Tywin wearing it, with a long, flowing red cloak. His blond hair was a bit longer in her mind, and wind made them dance. He held the legendary Brightroar in his right hand, and the Lannister Valyrian sword had emeralds matching his eyes on the pommel. In his left hand he held a great shield of gold, shinning in the sun.

In her mind, he fought in some great tourney and defeated every one. He gave her the crown of blue roses, then asked her grand-father and King for her hand. Her grand-father said yes and they married and everything was very pretty. He even gave them a dragon egg, and twin dragons hatched from it, and her dragon was pink and called Lady. Tywin's dragon would be enormous, golden and red, with a great name like "Ferocious" or "Greatness" or "Bravery". Then they would have a lot of dragon babies and Lannister babies as well.

"Still," Tywin interrupted her dreams, "I don't like it. Because of you all of them will pester me.  
-Why? It is so…  
-Yes. _Pretty_."

She yawned. He put her on the bed.

"Stay here. I'll come back.  
-No! I don't wanna be all alone!  
-I have to tell someone you're here, you silly. Your parents will be mad with worry if I don't.  
-If Papa becomes angry at you I'll run away and we'll marry somewhere anyway."

She yawned again. Tywin's bed felt very comfy.

"I'll be back quickly."

She curled under the covers and decided she wouldn't be asleep before he came back, but her lids felt heavy and, finally, she begun to dream long before his return.


End file.
